Memories - what to do with them?

The greatest gift people can give to each other is their memories. As a journal facilitator, I regularly teach people how to listen intently to the story of their life, observe closely those details that reveal who they are and what they've seen and heard, then write honestly and from the heart. Yet this week I have been surprised by the number of people who don't seem to value their experiences. You see, I joined the internet social networking scene

Yes, I'm now on facebook and linkedin and have cruised through classmates.com to check on the people I knew in high school. I searched through dozens of biographies to find details and was surprised to see a number of entries: Life.  That's it - just Life. I'm surprised that people don't consider it important to share details. Yes I understand privacy but I also understand celebration. "Life" is in the details!

Too often I have people in my classes who consider that nothing about them is interesting. I suspect they think only Hollywood stars, royalty, and serial killers have a story to tell. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Raising children is rich with story. So is being single, being married, working at a steady job or switching careers. Whatever we choose to do in life becomes our story. Through the act of sharing story, we acknowledge our personal history, validate our experiences, successful or otherwise. Each life lived matters.

What's the story you have to tell?